


What Remains of Us

by annathescavver



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, POV Alternating, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2020-10-30 15:42:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20775023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annathescavver/pseuds/annathescavver
Summary: An island cloaked by radioactive fog and a scientific lair with guarded secrets.The molecular relay was a success and Rebecca has found her missing son. Only, he’s not who she expected him to be. Her position in the Institute is a tenuous one at best, and she finds herself struggling to hold on to her ideals when the odds are stacked against her. Meanwhile, Anna and Nick have arrived in Far Harbor and it doesn’t take long before they realize they are not welcome. With the town on the edge, and old memories brought to light, they must hurry to find Kasumi and a way for peace to come to the island.When the ash settles, are ideals enough? And what will remain of them?





	1. Chapter 1

Waves rocked the small wooden trawler. They were gentle waves, capped with a fringe of white foam and smelling of salt and fish. They rumbled under and around the hull, a push-and-pull that was as soothing as it was menacing. The waves were peaceful on this cold evening, but with each one that came it was clear how much power was behind them. The boat was alone as it steadily made its way north, the low thrum of its engine lost amid this song of the sea.

Perhaps alone wasn’t the correct word, Anna mused to herself. She stood at the railing, looking out over the dark water. Even in the low light of the stars, she could see the dark outcrops of rocks and the remains of countless boats who had fallen victim to the sea’s rages. No. They were not alone.

It was an eerie sight. Mist floated above the water and she almost rolled her eyes at how much like a horror movie it looked. Instead, she shuddered and pulled away from the railing. Her arms were wrapped around herself, long coat fending off most of the early winter air, or perhaps the supernatural chill on the wind.

Anna turned and looked out over the opposite railing. Hours before, she had spotted the shape on the horizon. Land. And now, as she craned her neck to look up at it, the shape turned into an island, one cloaked by shadows and a thick fog that writhed between the trunks of twisted trees.

Wilderness gave way to buildings. Old, rotting buildings. They sat on the high cliffside, mournful, and their windows were like dark, weeping eyes. These in turn gave way to a dock, one lit by the soft light of lanterns. The dock was reinforced, built up with scraps taken from other houses and looking like someone’s last stand. People lived here. Desperate, determined people with a sad history.

Over the hum of the waves came a voice. It was an angry voice, loud and rough. “Boat’s incoming,” the voice said, as if indignant that a boat would dare travel the open water. The voice was silenced, then, by another one, this one much quieter. Anna couldn’t hear what the second voice said.

She went inside the cabin. Standing on the tips of her toes, she guided the boat towards the dock. It bumped against the old wooden planks and she stumbled back a step, embarrassment coloring her face. “That could’ve gone better,” she mumbled. She cut the engine and stepped out of the cabin.

“You did fine.” Nick Valentine, her partner and expert detective, joined her as she stepped out of the boat. “I’m sure it’ll all buff out.”

There was a hint of teasing in his gravelly voice. Anna smiled before leaning over to tie the boat off. As the voices drew near, footsteps creaking across wood, she turned around, straightening her jacket and hoping she appeared professional.

A man stood there, strong looking, with a full beard and leather coat. There was little silver in his hair, but incredible stress was evident in his tight shoulders and clenched jaw. He eyed them with clear suspicion. In his hands was a rifle, one used for hunting, and he kept his finger on the trigger.

“Mainlanders,” he said in a sneer. “You don’t need to be here. Get back on your boat and go home.”

Okay, that sounded super welcoming. Anna held up her hands, reminding herself that these people probably weren’t keen on visitors. “Look, my name’s Anna. This is Nick. We’re from the Commonwealth and just we’re looking for someone.”

“I don’t care who you are. We don’t need your type around here. This is our dock.”

“Allen.” A woman caught up to him and silenced him with a stern look. Her voice, Anna noted, was the second one from before. “You don’t get to make that call. This dock belongs to all of us. That means even mainlanders are welcome.”

The man remained silent, though it was obvious he wanted to argue.

“Though it  _ is _ a bit odd that you come here, strangers,” the woman continued. She stepped forward and the light from the lanterns caught on her short silver hair. Her eyes were dark and her skin was weathered from time and hard work. “Well, what’s your business? Not too many people travel this far up the coast.”

“We really are looking for someone,” Anna replied. “Her name is Kasumi Nakano. We think she traveled this direction and we want to make sure she’s alright.”

The woman thought for a moment. “Yes, she came through here a while back. She was headed up to Acadia, last time I checked. If you want to follow her, you’d need a guide to get you there. This is a dangerous place. I don’t suggest traveling alone.”

Anna nodded in thanks. She glanced over to Nick to see a contemplative look cross his face.

“At least we know she made it this far,” he said quietly.

That was good news. Along the long boat ride from Boston, Anna had discussed with Nick what they would do if Kasumi was not on the island. They had worried that she had gotten lost on her way, or she had moved on and they would lose their lead. Or, they had mentioned once but hesitated to imagine, what if she was dead?

“This guide you mentioned,” Anna asked the other woman. “Who would I talk to about that?” 

“I’d try Old Longfellow. You’ll probably find him at the Last Plank, our town bar. Look -”

A bell tolled loudly, echoing out in to the evening. The woman froze, a kind of resigned fear in her eyes. Her hand went to the pistol on her belt and she checked its ammunition. Beside her, Allen swore and took off at a run, his footsteps thundering up the steps and into the small town.

“Something’s coming through the Fog!” someone cried out. “Defend the Hull!”

“Help us and then we’ll talk,” the woman said urgently. “Up this way. Follow me!”

Anna did so, keeping close to the woman’s heels and they ran up a narrow, rickety staircase. At the top they halted and Anna looked out over an open street. Wisps of silvery mist swirled above the broken pavement. A barricade reinforced the wall they stood upon, made of scraps of wood and metal. Overturned trash bins and rotting benches looked out over the sea. What was most peculiar, though, was the sight of three alien contraptions in the street. They were tall, like lampposts perhaps, and they gave off an eerie, cold light.

She eyed them curiously, wondering how they worked, until a low snarl rumbled from the shadows. A chill skittered along her skin, raising the hairs on her arms. It was unfamiliar to her, that sound. It came from no beast she’d ever faced.

“Stay up here, strangers,” the woman ordered. Then she raised her gun, targeting her prey with practiced precision. “Here they come! Fire at will!”

They were great hulking creatures, covered in scales and with small, beady eyes. Their snarls devolved into low gurgles and snaps as they rushed the wall and the people defending it.

Anna fired on the nearest one and her aim was true. The headshot dazed the creature for a moment and she pulled the trigger several more times. Smoke hissed off it’s scales like steam. The creature shook itself and rushed towards her position, spine undulating sickeningly. It stopped at the barricade and clawed at the wood, flashing rows of sharp teeth that dripped with saliva.

Holding off another shudder, Anna fired down the creature’s mouth. It gave a shriek and fell to the side, twitching and spasming. Anna turned to the next one.

After a few minutes of combat, all of the creatures were down. Dark blood gushed from the abdomen of one of them, coating the cold pavement. A few ragged cheers came from the assembled townsfolk. These cheers were echoed by voices approaching from the street, and Anna saw three people running towards the gate.

“Open the gate,” they begged. “More are coming! Let us in!”

“No,” a woman said sternly. “There’s no time. Look to the Fog.”

Another round of creatures rushed the barricade. These ones were much larger and had tall ridges down their spines like those of dragons. A single light, glowing with bioluminescence, bobbed at the end of some kind of limb growing from their heads. Their claws - sharp and strong - scoured deep lines in the barricade as they sought a way though.

Unfortunately, these same claws also sliced through the flesh of two of the people trapped outside the gate. They went down screaming, heir voices shrill and hoarse. The third backed away and fired their rifle fearlessly until they, too, were torn apart.

Anna felt queasy. No matter how fast she and the townspeople shot, these creatures were faster. One paused a moment, bullets peppering it’s thick hide, and heaved, spewing thick, noxious bile at the wooden gate. It paid for this act, as it collapsed dead shortly after, but the damage was already done. The gate was weakened. The three other creatures dug and pushed at it, causing the wood to creak and snap.

The townspeople’s voices turned harried and they shouted out warnings. Other people came running, perhaps knowing that if the gate was lost, everyone would die.

The gate buckled. The creatures focused on it, and while that boded ill for the gate itself, it provided the townspeople the opportunity to shoot them all as one. Bullets rained down, all of them striking true and soon the creatures weakened. One of them, wobbling and bleeding terribly, made it past the gate and darted into down.

Someone screamed, but Anna couldn’t see who as she raced for another firing position. By the time she found one, the creature was dead and a woman was cowering before it, cradling her arm and her pistol at her feet.

Slowly the townsfolk gathered together. Tears streaked the faces of many of them, and anger shone in the eyes of all. The woman from the dock stood in the center, panting and blood-splattered but standing strong. Everyone surrounded her as if waiting for her guidance or her reassurance.

She spoke. She thanked everyone for their bravery and quick response to the danger. She assured them the gate would be rebuilt and reinforced even more. And last, she gave the dead her respect and promised them they would not be forgotten. Her words soothed those around her. Soon everyone turned towards the task of cleaning everything up.

“Thank you.” The woman - the leader of the town - approached Anna. “I appreciate your help. This doesn’t happen everyday, but...often enough. I’m sorry you had to be here for it.”

Anna waved it away. “It’s not your fault.”

“We’re sorry for your loss,” Nick added, removing his hat for a moment. Anna echoed his words.

The woman simply nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted again as Allen approached her, expression thunderous.

“I’m tired of cowering behind your damn wall, Avery. Let me go. Let me get rid of those fanatics and stop this from happening again.”

“No.” Avery’s voice was hard and brooked no argument. When Allen went to speak further, she glared at him. “I said no. There’s been enough death today. Go help clean up this mess. There’s no time to lose.”

Narrowing his eyes, Allen stood his ground for several moments. Eventually he turned away, a swear mumbled under his breath.

Anna watched him go with a frown. She supposed she shouldn’t judge, as these people were struggling and that led to strained tempers. And it wasn’t her place, really; she was an outsider and thus unfamiliar with the day-to-day tensions of the town.

Still. Flaring tempers and violence never improved a situation.

“Sorry about all that,” Avery said with a sigh. “Everyone’s on edge these days. And I never got to properly introduce myself. I’m Avery and I’m the Captain of Far Harbor. It’s...more of a ceremonial title, of course. Now, Longfellow should be around here. When this all gets cleaned up, I’m sure he’ll speak with you. As long as he’s not too deep in his cups…”

Anna went to follow Avery, hoping to help out, but she was soon turned away. The townsfolk made it clear that they didn’t want her or Nick’s help any longer. She bit her tongue hard, stopping herself just before she said something she’d regret. Instead, she waved to Nick and they moved to the side where they wouldn’t be in the way.

“Well,” she said and leaned against the railing. She looked out over the water. “Let’s go over this again. Everyone seems to live here, and there’s a wall they completely depend on for safety. These creatures keep coming out of that fog. That guy seems to think someone else is behind it, and I’m sure others feel the same way.”

Nick lit a cigarette and joined her at the railing. He was contemplative, eyes following the shadowy waves below. “Looks like this town’s pretty isolated. That’s going to make them defensive.”

“Yeah. We’re gonna have to prove ourselves to them, or at least make a few friends. Otherwise, not too many of them are going to want to talk to us.” Anna looked over her shoulder at the townsfolk, wanting to help them but unwilling to step in where she clearly wasn’t welcome.

“Fanatics, he says,” Nick mused after a minute’s pause. “Whether they are or not, we can’t be sure of yet. Did you see those contraptions out near the gate? I bet they have something to do with the fog.”

“Must be something in it. Oh.” Anna felt foolish. “It’s probably radioactive. Then, no, of course no one can really be behind it. Right?”

Nick shook his head. “Not unless they have some kind of weapon. But you and I both know when the words ‘fanatic’ and ‘radioactive’ are used together…”

“Hmm. Yeah, there could be a group of them nearby.”

He meant the Children of Atom. The religious - yes, oftentimes fanatical - group of people who worship radiation. They were usually hostile to anyone crossing into their territory, and sometimes even those who stay far away. Anna had little experience with them, but she wasn’t keen on getting more.

“That complicates things,” she said. “And aside from the conflict that presents, I’m not looking forward to venturing into that fog. Christ, how much rad-x do I have, anyway?”

Nick pulled the cigarette from his lips and exhaled, the smoke curling towards the sea. “Let’s just wait and get ourselves a guide, for now. Our job is to find Kasumi. We can worry about the rest once we make sure she’s alright.”

Staring ruefully at her half-full bottle of rad-x, Anna nodded. “I know. I just think this isn’t going to be as open-and-shut as we would like.”

" No,” Nick agreed with a sigh. He glanced down at the bottle. “You might want to take one of those, at least until we know what we’re up against.”

Hearing the slight concern in his voice, Anna did as he suggested. She then dug into her pack a second time, finding her geiger counter and pulling it out. The needle was picking up rads, but the level was low - low enough she only felt a small tremor in her knees. She wouldn’t chose this place for a summer home, but hopefully she could stay a while and not get sick. Or die.

Several hours later, the mess was mostly cleaned up. The townsfolk butchered most of the creatures for meat, and the others they disposed of. The meat itself was cut up into small chunks and either stored in iceboxes or treated to prevent spoilage.

The smell was nauseating. The blood was like a million prewar pennies and Anna knew she’d be smelling (and tasting) it for days.

While a few people stuck around to repair the gate, the rest turned in for the night. Anna counted the caps in her pocket, wondering how much it cost to rent a bed. Could they even rent a bed? Maybe she could ask around the town bar, and see if she could strike some kind of deal. She didn’t relish the thought of sleeping outside.

Just as she started walking towards the Last Plank, she was stopped by another of the townsfolk. This man was tall and wore a long, thick coat. He had thinning white hair and sported a thick beard, and his gaze was one of judgement as he took the two newcomers in.

“Name’s Longfellow. Old Longfellow, people call me. Like I need remindin’...anyway, Cap’n told me you two wanted to see me,” he said. His voice was deep and rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest. “Somethin’ about guiding you up to Acadia.”

“That’s right,” Anna replied. “We’re heading up there to check up on someone. I’m sure you don’t want to head out right now, but if we could schedule it tomorrow morning, we’d really appreciate it.”

“Now, just hold on.” Longfellow held up a hand. He eyed them still, as if unable to make up his mind. “I haven’t agreed just yet. I’m not here to hold the hand of everyone who wants a tour of the park. I’m done leadin’ people to their deaths. Last fella couldn’t last five minutes. What makes you think you can?”

Anna drew herself up, spine straightening. Beside her, Nick frowned. His hand touched the small of her back. It was a subtle warning and she could almost hear his voice:  _ don’t. _ He knew she had taken offense to Longfellow’s words, and probably felt the same, and yet he was pleading with her not to make a scene.

She counted to three before replying. Losing her temper wouldn’t serve her or Nick well. “Look,” she said with forced calmness. “I have no interest in wasting your time. We’re no stranger to danger ourselves.”

“Nothing like what’s out there,” Longfellow corrected evenly. “Too many people think they can handle it, and I’m tired of fishin’ them out of somethin’s mouth.”

Anna pressed her lips together into a thin line. It wasn’t like her and Nick had  _ just _ helped the townsfolk kill all those creatures. And while she was sure he really was tired of rescuing every supposedly hapless adventurer, she didn’t care for his dismissive attitude.

Drawing in breath, she chose her words carefully. “Nick and I are detectives. Some parents asked us to find their daughter. She went up to Acadia and we need to find her.”

“Well if someone’s headed up there, there’s a story. Always is. But some mainlander family isn’t any business of mine.”

Anna lifted her chin. She was just about done with him. What would he think if she and Nick  _ did _ make it up to Acadia on their own? He’d eat his words, that was for sure. “This young woman is the only thing that family has. And she’s a fucking person, not some tourist for you to make fun of. She could be dead. Personally, I’d be giving more of a damn if I were you.”

Longfellow stared at her for several heartbeats. Finally, he nodded once. It was a solemn gesture. “This goes against all reason...bah, I’ll get you up to Acadia. With that rifle of yours and that spine, you’ll make it just fine. But I do have some rules.”

Anna folded her arms over her chest. “Alright.”

“You do what I say, when I say it. You go where I tell you to go. Still won’t be an easy hike. You got enough supplies? Ammo, stims, plenty of rad-x? When we go beyond the range of those condensers, we’ll be taking on rads.”

So the Fog was radioactive. “Yes, we have enough.”

“Good. Mornin’s in a few hours, and we’ll want to leave before then,” Longfellow explained, nodding towards the horizon. “Talk to Mitch at the bar and he’ll set you two up with a room. I’ll see ya six o’ clock, sharp.”

Anna watched him leave and then disappear into the bar in question. She let out a heavy sigh and turned to Nick in time to catch his expression. It was somewhere between proud and exasperated. “Go ahead,” she mumbled. “Say it.”

Nick chuckled softly. “No, no. You handled that well enough. He’s as stubborn as you are, that’s all.”

Anna shook her head with an undignified snort. “C’mon, let’s see what kind of room we can get for the night. I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

“And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

She caught the continued teasing in his voice. “No, we wouldn’t,” she agreed, matching his tone as she led the way across the town.

Inside, the bar was crowded and very loud. Much like the Dugout Inn in Diamond City, the Last Plank was a hotspot for late, after-work drinks. People gathered together on rickety wooden chairs or in threadbare booths. A few greasy bulbs hung from the ceiling, providing a dim, albeit warm, light. The floor was bare, just strong beams that matched those forming the walls and roof.

Anna weaved through the crowd, Nick following closely behind. A few people looked up, one or two in irritation, but the majority were too engrossed in their conversation to notice the newcomers. At the bar, Anna caught the barkeep’s attention and inquired about a room.

“10 caps a night,” Mitch replied and then accepted the caps Anna handed him. “Up the stairs, turn left, all the way at the back.”

As they left the bar, Mitch raised his voice and announced another round of drinks. On the house, he said. Anna wondered to herself how he was going to make ends meet if he offered so many people free drinks. From the sound of it, everyone was used to it.

The steps creaked as the duo made their way to the second landing. Anna eyed the hallway, watching the singular lightbulb flicker. “This whole place keeps looking more and more like a horror film. It’s not my favorite genre, y’know.”

With an amused roll of his eyes, Nick opened the door to their room and waved her inside. “You can have the bed,” he said with disgust, taking in the room. “I have enough problems with rust, and that mattress looks like it came in with the morning catch.”

Anna set her pack down and removed her coat before taking a seat on the bed. “Well, it’s better than sleeping out there. I think it’s going to snow soon, anyway.” There was a small window in the room and she wiped the condensation away. From here, she could see the rest of the dock. It ended in broken boards that had long since collapsed into the harbor. From what she could tell, there was more than one boat submerged beneath the waves. “Fuck winter.”

Nick sat next to her with a sigh. “Let’s hope we packed enough socks.”

“I got three pairs. Don’t tell me that’s not enough.” Anna said with mock seriousness. She turned to him and flashed him a smile, earning herself a laugh. “And just because you always complain when I use you to stay warm.” 

“If you’d stop poking me with your cold toes at night...”

“Hey! You’re so warm, though.” She grinned, her eyes trailing up and down his figure. “In fact, it’s awfully chilly in here. Brr.”

Nick’s lips twitched and he cleared his throat pointedly. “Doll, there are about fifteen people downstairs. You’re just gonna have to make do.”

Huffing a sigh, the woman kicked off her shoes. “Like they can hear anything over themselves.”

Nick leaned over to press a lingering kiss to her jawline. “Get some sleep.”

“Dammit,” Anna said with exaggerated theatrics. She winked at him before tugging the blanket out from under him and snuggling underneath. Feeling him stand up, she rolled over to her side and closed her eyes. Like usual, sleep did not come easily.


	2. Chapter 2

The Institute was an incredible place. The walls soared high, lit by bright, clean light. Fountains bubbled merrily, the water running clearer than Rebecca had ever seen. And grass - a rich, healthy green - grew alongside flowers and small trees, each nourished by the light and specially designed fertilizers. The temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. It was a utopia, a future like those advertised in magazines before the war. A place for mankind to be safe and happy.

And yet, she wasn’t happy.

The hallways Rebecca walked in echoed with her footsteps and those of the synth beside her. She scrubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to drive away her nerves. Sneaking a glance to her side, she took in the synth’s uniform and their upright, unbreakable posture. She’d offered them a smile before, one that she hoped wasn’t too awkward, but she’d received no response. They weren’t terribly talkative, and she chose to respect that.

Darker thoughts entered her mind as they neared their destination. She knew very well that the synth - and others like them - were guards, and as such, probably had strict programming that allowed no personality. While it was nice, her smiling probably did little.

No, not little. She refused to think that way. “Thank you for your help,” she said to them when they arrived at the door she needed. They left without a word, hands tight around their rifle. She squared her shoulders, summoning her best courtroom face, and opened the door.

“Ah, Mother.” A man greeted her, long white coat pristine and carefully ironed. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Shaun,” Rebecca said and her voice cracked only slightly. She shook his hand, feeling the years in the creases of his hands. “You said you wanted to see me?”

“Of course, yes. Our tour of the other division the other day was incomplete. I wanted to give you plenty of time to recuperate. I understand your journey was a long one.” Shaun smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Today I plan to show you the robotics division. Dr. Binet and his team are eager to meet you. If you would, come with me.”

He led the way out of the room. Rebecca followed even though her stomach was suddenly seized with queasiness. Robotics. Where the synths were made.

They wound their way through the corridors, traveling down one spiral staircase and then past a door locked by a keycode. Shaun typed in the code easily, his back subtly turned to block the keypad from Rebecca’s sight.

She had little freedom. She was a welcome guest at the moment, an honored one even, but she was not yet trusted. That was understandable, sure, but the secrecy - most of it not as subtle as the scientists thought - was already beginning to irritate her.

“Through here, please.” Shaun waved a hand before folding them behind his back and leading her down a long, narrow corridor. “Ah. Here’s Dr. Binet now. Doctor, good morning. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course,” Dr. Binet replied easily, as if he was used to interruptions or knew better than to make a scene. “What do you need, Director?”

Shaun gestured for Rebecca to step forward. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. This is Rebecca, my mother. She’s just recently joined us and I thought I’d show her around. Perhaps you could give us a tour?”

“Oh, yes of course. My team should be about to start with a new group of synths. If you’d like to see that?”

“That will do, doctor.”

Dr. Binet nodded and gestured for them to follow. He led the way through the laboratory, nodding to the people at work.

Rebecca looked around. There were terminals stationed all around the room, but she was unable to read what was on any of their screens. There were other machines, too, great alien ones that no doubt made parts or stored lines of complicated code. And above, the ceiling was high above them, lit sufficiently but sending down drafts of cold air.

She followed the others through another series of doors. Each were keycoded.

“Here we are,” Dr. Binet said, gesturing as they entered the last room. It was a small office, sparsely furnished and with large glass window. A pair of seats sat under the window while a desk - like the rest of the room, it was barely decorated - took up most of the rest of the space. “This is one of the offices where we work on our synth’s programming,” he said to Rebecca. “There are others, of course. You can see them there and there. Now, down there is our laboratory. Have a seat. It looks like my team has already started.”

Rebecca claimed one of the seats. It was an uncomfortable thing, with little padding. Beside her, Shaun claimed the opposite one while Dr. Binet leaned against the desk.

With carefully concealed discomfort, Rebecca looked down into the laboratory.

A large red circle dominated the space and it took a moment for her to realize it was a vat. Built into the floor, it was full of some kind of red material. Bubbles rippled along the edges. Surrounding it were more terminals and several scientists, each person outfitted with full lab attire and two carrying clipboards. 

There were large circular contraptions, each flickering with light. A human frame was positioned in one of them, looking like some kind of famous painting. As Rebecca watched from the window, a large mechanical arm began forming a skeleton within the frame. Bone by bone. The arm moved so quickly it was nearly a blur. “It starts there,” Rebecca said quietly, noting it for her report to the Railroad.

Next the arm carefully grabbed the skeleton and moved it on to the next machine. Lines, thin ones, were woven over and around the skeleton. The nervous system, perhaps.

Dr. Binet cleared his throat. “The basic human programming already in place by this point. When they’re done there, they are brought up here, to one of our senior roboticists.”

With a shallow nod, Rebecca tuned back into the lab. The frame had been moved again, and now muscle was being formed around it. The body took form quickly, sinew and fiber built rapidly, before it was finally placed into the vat of red liquid.

“This is the animation process,” Dr. Binet explained from behind her shoulder. “The rest of the body is formed, as well. Skin, hair, nails.”

“Right,” Rebecca said. “Looks like a fine-tuned process. Quick, too. You said they come up here when they’re ready. How do you decide where to send them?”

“It depends on a lot of factors,” Dr. Binet said vaguely. “Where we want to investigate an area, where we want to form an alliance with the residents.”

Rebecca could tell she wasn’t going to get more information out of him. And from the tightening of Shaun’s jaw, she knew she shouldn’t ask more questions. So instead she played innocent. “I see. That makes sense.”

Below, the surface of the vat rippled and she watched it closely. A figure - the synth, fully formed - emerged, their movements slow. The liquid ran in blood-colored rivulets down their body and dripped from their hair. The synth fell to their knees, the liquid splashing around them. They made a face of undeniable frustration and picked themselves back up, hands desperately trying to wipe the liquid off of their skin.

Rebecca wanted to turn away, to evade her eyes from the synth’s nakedness and vulnerability, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight.

One of the scientists stepped forward. She held out a towel, a smile easy on her lips and her eyes trained on their face. She said something, but Rebecca couldn’t hear her.

The synth looked at the towel for a few moments in sheer confusion before stepping forward and taking it. They wrapped it around their shoulders. The scientist led them away and they followed, footsteps unsteady and slow.

“We’re making incredible progress. As you can see, the synths emerge complete and with little mishap.  After this they are taken aside and assigned, and then programmed . Doctor Navarette has been working on the programming for their components, and she and I are very pleased with the results.” Dr Binet glanced over to Shaun and added, “The advancements in artificial emotions are coming along well, as is our work in simulating humanoid...extremes.” There was a faint cough, one Rebecca and Shaun both noticed. “As you ordered, Director.”

Rebecca wondered what he meant by that. Obviously, the Institute would continuously be working to improve emotions and intelligence in their synths. Humans had a wide range of emotions, and if synths were meant to replace, or infiltrate, humans on the surface, synths had to have the same range. What he meant by  _ extremes _ , Rebecca had her suspicions.

The surface wasn’t an easy place to live. Disease, radiation, conflit. All of it left harsh scars on the mind, and the Institute would need to simulate that as well.

The thought made Rebecca feel sick. She swallowed back her nausea and looked back at the floor. A second synth was being placed into the vat. This time, when they emerged, none of the scientists offered them assistance. The woman who had offered the towel was still gone, and no one thought to follow her lead.

Rebecca finally turned her head away. This had to stop. Somehow, she had to find a way to stop all of this.

“Excellent work, doctor. Do continue to send me reports of your team’s progress. Now, I do not wish to keep you any longer.” Shaun nodded to Dr. Binet before folding his hands behind his back and turning to leave. “Mother, there is something else I would like to discuss with you. Please come with me.”

Rebecca glanced down at the laboratory floor again and saw yet another synth emerge from the vat. She wanted to know more, as grisly as the process was. She  _ needed  _ to know more, and so did the Railroad. They had sent her here - risked agent’s lives to do so - in return for information.

“Sure, of course,” she said and followed him out of the laboratory.

They settled back in his rooms. Dinner was brought to them and Rebecca couldn’t deny her eagerness to eat. It had been months since she’d eaten well, and the Institute - or at least, those in charge - had access to great food. The aroma of roasted vegetables, some kind of soup, fresh bread, and more caused her stomach to growl in an embarrassingly loud way.

Shaun looked over at her with an indulgent smile. “Please,” he said. “I believe the prewar saying is dig in.”

Rebecca did. Whatever her opinions about what’d she seen, she couldn’t do anything about it at the moment. Acting now, or speaking of it even, was dangerous. She had to get more information. Find out if there was anyone in the Institute she could trust.

“Someday I hope the Institute can grow our food on the surface,” Shaun began, sitting opposite her. “With our advances in agriculture, and the room up there, I’m sure we could grow enough to feed hundreds of people. Only, we’re still working on a way to neutralize the radioactivity. Even short trips to the surface can be dangerous. Such trips have damaged the DNA of our scientists.”

“Surely the Institute has ways to handle that?”

“Not completely. Our environment suits, while a thousand times better than they were prewar, can only protect from so much, and for so long. And radiation can last for centuries. Some isotopes, millennia.” Shaun finally began to serve himself. He seemed to eye the bottle of wine on the table for several moments before pouring himself a glass. “There is a team in the Bioscience division dedicated to this subject and their reports are fascinating. I recommend you pay them a visit.”

Perhaps she would. Though it had little to do with synths, learning other ways of handling radiation would prove extremely useful. “Well it is true that the food on the surface is sometimes radioactive,” she said, thinking of both the prewar variety and that grown on farms. “There was always medicine to deal with it.”

“A weak effort, I’m afraid. I applaud those living on the surface for trying to minimize the dangers, but a bottle of rad-x cannot stop the rads completely.”

“What else do you think they should do? It’s not like there are labs like this out there.”

Shaun eyed her. “No,” he agreed. “That is another reason we work so hard down here. I dream of a day when we fix the surface world. Do you know what we say down here? Mankind, redefined. The war may have changed humanity, but we can improve ourselves and be better than ever.”

It was a nice idea, at first. Rebecca nodded in agreement, though in her heart she had her doubts. She didn’t think the Institute meant to help the surface world in any way. The Institute wanted to replace the surface world.

Silence settled between them. Rebecca finished her dinner and considered a glass of wine herself. “Shaun,” she said as she poured a small amount. “I’m glad to have found you. I admit, things didn't turn out the way I had planned. I thought I would get to watch you grow up, and I missed that. That the Institute did this to us...it will take some time for me to come to terms with.”

She was choosing her words carefully and they both knew it.

“I understand, mother. It is regrettable that this is how we meet. It is even more regrettable that my father was killed. I would have liked to meet him as well.”

At the thought of Warren, Rebecca’s eyes welled with tears. She thought she’d cried enough. Waking from cryosleep in the vault, escaping and finding their world destroyed, hunting down and killing the man who murdered him, and finally burying him. She had cried so many tears and lost a lot of herself. She wondered who she’d become, and at times she wondered how she could go on.

She’d accepted her new place. She’d made friends. She’d grown, and healed as best as she was able. The scars were still there, the pain cutting so deep, but she’d come so far and she refused to stop moving.

“Maybe we can make up for the time,” Shaun said slowly. “I look forward to showing you the work the Institute does, and the good we can do for the rest of the world. I hope you can be happy here, mother. There’s a place for you in the Institute, should you take it.”

“Yes, maybe. And maybe we can truly help the surface world. Share our advancements with them. Help them rebuild.” Rebecca finished her wine and offered him a smile. She wasn’t sure how much of a choice she had and that frightened her. If she tried to leave, or if she refused to stay in the Institute, would he try to stop her? “Maybe we can reach out soon. Show them that we want to help.”

Shaun looked unconvinced. “Mother, I’m sure you’re aware of how the surface world thinks of us. I do assure you that we are not the monsters others are convinced we are.”

“I’m sure,” Rebecca said. His tone had been even but she caught the slight warning in his words. “I really would like to get to know everyone here. I agree, there is such good the Institute can do for the world. The Institute just has to find common ground with the surface world.”

“Common ground?”

“It won’t be easy, I know,” Rebecca continued lightly. “I want to help, Shaun. Besides finding you, my dream since leaving the vault was to rebuild the world. Dig through the ashes and find the good parts of civilization, and help it grow. Please, we can do so much good.”

Shaun frowned, eyes narrowing. “I still don’t see how we can find common ground with the chaos of the surface world. Don’t you think we’ve tried, Mother? We are stopped at every turn. Every time we try to intervene, to help them, they attack us.”

Perhaps, Rebecca thought, if you wouldn’t try to kill people. Or replace loved ones. Or kidnap children. Perhaps they wouldn’t attack you.

“Then let me help you find it. I lived up there for weeks. I have friends up there. Allies.”

“Yes, I’m sure you have your connections.”

“Then you agree? I can help the Institute connect with the people up there. I know things have been rocky at best, and it will take time and a lot of effort to make things right. But it can still be done.”

With a sigh, Shaun nodded. “I can see where you’re going with this. I’m not sure I agree, but I respect your dedication. You have experience up there and we can use that. In the meantime, make yourself known around here. Just as we should learn from you, you need to learn from us.”

There was a considerable amount of condescension in his voice. Rebecca decided that she didn’t care for it. The conversation had not gone as well as she’d hoped, and she mentally kicked herself for being so pushy. She wondered if she’d shown her cards too early.

“Alright,” Rebecca said, instead of voicing any other of her opinions. She straightened her back and put her neutral mask back on. “Thank you for hearing me out. I look forward to working with you, and now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish settling in.”

Shaun stood and walked her to the door, an easy smile on his face. “Yes, of course. I have a meeting with the directorate tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps after that we can discuss these plans you have. But for now, just make yourself comfortable around here. Good day, Mother.”

They shook hands again and Rebecca left the room. The door slid closed behind her with a soft hiss. She let out a sigh of relief, allowing her shoulders to droop and her eyes to close. Speaking with him was going to be exhausting, she could already tell. She couldn’t truly say what she wanted, and she had to be mindful of who he was and the power he had.

“You must be tired from your trip.”

Rebecca straightened, recognizing that voice. Before, it had been scathing and impatient, telling her that by no means did he trust her. She might be the director’s mother, but he would be watching her. 

Justin Ayo stood in the hallway. He was the head of the Synth Retention Bureau, the part of the Institute dedicated to finding runaway synths and bringing them back. “I would have thought you’d have settled in by now. It’s been several days, hasn’t it? And yet you still chose to wear those rags. Perhaps you’re not planning on staying long.”

Rebecca almost hoped there would come a day where she could tell him exactly what she thought of him. Now was not that day. “It’s quite an adjustment, I’ll admit,” she said calmly. “I’m only human. These things take time.”

“What an odd phrase,” Ayo said. “Only human. As if to be human is to be just...mediocre.”

“It’s an old prewar saying.” Rebecca waved it off, hoping to appear indifferent.  _ Only human? _ Why did those words come out of her mouth? “Excuse me. I’m sure you need to speak with the director.”

She sidestepped Ayo and left him standing before Shaun’s door. She could feel his eyes on her, weighing, judging. Waiting for her to slip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got chapter three started already, so it shouldn't be long. Hopefully. Either way, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

Far Harbor left much to be desired when it came to food. The plate before her was piled with some kind of meat, slimy and dark. It smelled so strongly of the sea - fish and mud and rot - that Anna could barely choke it down. It was warm, though, and that was something at least.

Outside the Last Plank, rain pattered gently against the windows. A raging storm had rolled through not long before, bringing howling winds that rattled the building’s walls and sounded to Anna like a thousand grieving spirits. It had passed, thankfully, but she didn’t look forward to venturing outside.

Finishing the last of her breakfast, she handed the plate back to Mitch and nodded her thanks. Turning around on the barstool, she pulled her pack onto her lap and dug out her bottle of rad-x. She downed two of the pills.

Movement caught her eye and she looked up to see Longfellow striding towards her. “Morning,” she said. “We all set to go?”

“Yeah, yeah. Where’s your partner? We’re leaving before the rain comes back, so I’m not gonna wait around.”

“Oh, he probably outside.” Anna hopped off the stool and led the way out of the bar. As she had suspected, Nick Valentine was leaning against the outside wall, the shadow of an awning barely keeping the rain off him. He was tucked deep in his coat, shoulders hunched, with a lit cigarette between his lips.

“There he is,” she spoke again. “You ready, Nick?”

“Sure, sure. Let’s get up there and see if we can find Kasumi.”

At that, Longfellow took the lead out of town. He pulled his rifle from his back and held it steady, eyes flickering from side to side. Moving quick, he immediately disappeared into the Fog, leaving the other two to hurry after him.

Only moments passed before Anna was convinced they were in a different world. Silver wisps swirled around them, playful and menacing in equal measure. A peculiar smell tickled her nose and she inhaled deeply. Maybe it was the storm that had just passed. Or maybe it was something more sinister.

They traveled along a prewar road, the asphalt broken to reveal patches of muddy water and stubborn, mutated plants. The sea was to their right, waves steadily lapping the shore. And the wind grew louder the farther they traveled from town until it whistled past her ears and she ducked her chin deeper into her coat to avoid its icy touch.

They traveled for a while without comment. Understandably, Longfellow wasn’t very talkative and instead kept several paces ahead of them, wariness visible in every move he took.

That was, until he stopped, holding out a hand to keep the others behind him. “Get down,” he ordered and pointed towards the remains of an old brick wall. “Trappers up ahead.”

Anna shared a look with Nick as they crouched behind the wall. She had no idea what trappers were, but from Longfellow’s tone of voice, she could guess they were nothing good.

“It’s dark, so they shouldn’t see us,” Longfellow said. “Though they have some kind of primal sense of smell, so be ready.”

Shifting her grip in her plasma rifle, Anna waited. There was nothing but the wind for several heartbeats. And then, out of the Fog came a muffled, almost inhuman laugh. Her blood ran cold at the sound and her many fights with raiders came back to her. If trappers were anything like them, this would not be a good fight.

The silhouettes of four people emerged from the mist. She could see the glint of their weapons: some kind of modified rifle, a long machete, a hook like that used by a butcher, and spiked, rusty knuckles. Even in the cold, Anna could feel the sweat trickle down her spine. Yes. They were just like raiders.

One of the trappers stopped. They stretched out their neck and looked around. Their eyes, visible through the tattered scarf they wore, were wild.

“Fresh meat.” Their voice was gleeful. “Find them.”

The trappers found them in seconds. Anna scurried backward as one of them targeted her. He swiped at her with the machete, the blade gleaming through the mist. She ducked and the smell of unwashed body and blood filled her nose.

“Can you feel it?” Machete taunted her. “The Fog gets us all in the end.”

Anna could imagine. It sure didn’t seem like the Fog cared who you were.

Instead of responding to him, she raised her rifle and fired off a shot. It caught him in the shoulder and he hissed, eyes flashing. Machete dodged to the side, evading her next shot, before rushing her again.

Mud squelched under her boot as Anna spun to meet him. He was too close; too close to use her rifle. The blade barely missed her and her breath caught in her throat as she imagined the damage it could do. She shoved her elbow into his face, the crack of bone loud in her ears. Blood dribbled out of his nose and he stumbled, hands desperately trying to stem the flow. Another shot from her rifle and he was down.

She looked up, watching as Longfellow barely missed the swipe of the meat hook. Wincing, she watched as he fired several times into the trapper and finished them off. The other, the one who had carried the rifle, was already dead.

The snap of a revolver caught her attention and she looked to see Nick facing the last trapper. The shot had missed, but a second did not. The force of the bullet sent him back a few steps. It wasn’t enough, though. It didn’t stop him. Nick’s face twisted and he fired again, but the trapper ducked before coming at him from below, the sharp spines of the brass knuckles aimed for maximum damage.

Anna started to run, rifle coming into her hands. She skidded to a halt as Nick grabbed the trapper and wrestled with him for several moments, before slamming the backside of his revolver into the man’s temple. The last bullet did not miss.

That was it. That was all four of them.

Anna eyed the trappers until she was certain they would not rise. “Christ,” she breathed, knees weak with relief. “Are you guys alright?”

Longfellow waved off her concern as he walked over to one of the bodies. “Take what you can find. Bullets are hard to come by on the island.”

“Right.” Anna did as he suggested and dug into the trapper’s pockets. There were no bullets - not that it was surprising, given that this man had charged at her with a fucking machete - but she did find a few caps. Not really useful, but she claimed them anyway.

She joined Nick and noted the tear in his coat. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Nick replied with a shake of his head. “Surprisingly, no. Their brass knuckles caught my coat, is all. You think someone on his island has a needle and thread?”

“Well, we’ll ask around Acadia. Being up on that mountain top, I’m sure their self-sufficient enough to have some.” It was said lightly, but her smile was forced and shaky. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

They continued up the mountain. The air took on a smell of damp soil and fallen leaves. It was a welcome relief and Anna would have felt a measure of peace come of her, if not for the sorrowful, ever-dangerous forest around them.

Once, they heard a shrill scream and Longfellow explained that it was what people on the island called a fog crawler. It was some kind of mutated sea creature, he said, and Anna was neither surprised nor excited to hear it.

The Fog began to thin as they reached the peak. Eventually it disappeared completely and Longfellow said they would be safe from the rads now. “We weren’t out too long,” he continued. “With the medicine you took, you’ll be fine. This time.”

Of course. There would be other times to travel up or down the mountain. Anna shivered, lifting her shoulders and hiding deeper into her coat.

“Now,” Longfellow said. “This is Acadia. They’ve been watching us for a while now, so you’ll be expected. You two should probably head on in.”

He nodded towards the settlement before them. A makeshift fence - like everywhere in the nuclear wasteland, it was made of scraps and the remains of prewar vehicles - surrounded the mountaintop. Beyond it were several sheds and a few guard posts. And in the center was a tall domed building. The steps leading up to it were crumbling, the concrete falling apart from lack of maintenance. The walls and roof, too, were showing signs of wear.

“Good luck, both of you.” Longfellow shook their hands. “Not like it’s been a pleasure or anythin’, coming up here, but you know what you’re doing. If you ever need a guide again, come find me.”

He turned and started on the trip back down the mountain. With him gone, Anna started up the concrete steps, Nick following close behind her.

The door to the building squealed loudly and Anna winced, wishing for something to oil the hinges with. Inside, it was dark and cold and she stopped for a moment to let her eyes adjust. To their right was a staircase that headed to the lower levels, and ahead of them stretched a long hallway that opened into what appeared to be a big room.

Blue lights flickered ahead and Anna followed them.

The main room was round and full of computer terminals. The blue lights came from the screens, each of which flickered with lines of code. The ceiling was collapsed in parts, the sunlight peeking through the metal. In the middle was a telescope, one that looked like it hadn’t been used in centuries. Before that was a chair. A figure sat there, regarding the sky above.

“When I first climbed this mountain, I thought to myself: now here is a metaphor worth taking in. It was safe; above the Fog. While you’re here in Acadia, synth-kind welcomes you, as long as you welcome us.”

The voice was eloquent. It was quiet and calm, but there was a layer of steel under the surface. There was no threat in the words, and yet the warning was clear.

They stood up and approached the newcomers, their bearing one of hard-earned confidence. It was the kind of confidence that came from facing adversity and standing up, again and again, after being shoved to the ground.

Anna stopped still, her eyes widening as she took in the sight. The figure was a synth - an older model synth. There was no mistaking the metal frame and the worn silicone skin. Their legs were completely wrapped in what appeared to be electrical tape while the rest of their body was exposed metal and wires. What was most striking were the glass tubes erupting from their back, each one of them catching the light from the terminals and glittering like frost.

“What brings you here?” the synth asked. They folded their hands before them, head tilted as they regarded Anna.

" Well,” Anna said and then shut her mouth again, taking a moment to regain her composure. Staring was rude to begin with, and she was sure they didn’t appreciate her acting like she’d never seen a synth before. “The name’s Anna. Nice to meet you. This is Nick, and we’re detectives. We’re here looking for Kasumi.”

The synth froze at her words. Their gaze flickered towards Nick, and then their eyes widened as shock flashed across their face. They took a step back, stumbling in their haste. “No. No, it can’t be you.”

Anna frowned and turned to Nick. “You know them?”

“No,” Nick replied immediately. He looked over at the other synth and his voice became irritated. Anna knew that tone; it meant he felt he was wasting his time, or someone else was wasting it for him. “What’re you trying to pull? Who the hell are you?”

“Nick, it’s me. DiMA. I’m your brother.”

“What?” Nick demanded. “I don’t have a brother. And the only time I see a mug like that is when I look in a mirror.”

Anna stayed silent, watching the two of them interact and unsure of how to respond. Should she, even? Perhaps it wasn’t her place.

“Please, if you’d give me a chance,” DiMA said pleadingly. “We were in the Institute. We left together.”

“Keep talkin’.”

DiMA’s fingers twisted together as he chose his words carefully. “We were prototypes. As far as the Institute was concerned, we were the first synths capable of independent thought and reasoning. I was allowed to develop my personality as I aged, based on my experiences. You...they tried to implant an entire personality into you.

“Each attempt failed, but they just kept trying. I watched you wake up not knowing who you were so many times. I couldn’t let them do it to you anymore. It hurt to see you suffer like that. So I planned carefully, and one night when I knew they wouldn’t catch us, we escaped.”

Anna took a deep breath and slowly slid her hands into her pockets. It was quite the story. Just believable enough, too. But was it true?

Nick scoffed and she heard the note of pain in his voice. “If that’s true, I’d remember.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s where you’d be wrong,” DiMA corrected. The words were brisk, but his voice was gentle and apologetic. “As prototypes, our raw data capacity is limited. I had to reprogram all of these terminals in order to save all of my old memories. It’s...rather unfair.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Nick snapped. He stalked away, shoulders tight with strain. Anna followed him and he drew her into the hallway. “I...I don’t know what to make of this. I really don’t remember him, doll. We should talk about this, but not right now. We need to find Kasumi first.”

“Alright,” Anna said. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ll figure this out. After we make sure she’s here and safe, we can come back to this. Sound good?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

Anna cradled his cheek for a moment, her thumb smoothing across his skin, before leading the way back into the main room.

“Moving on,” she said and met DiMA’s gaze. “Kasumi Nakano. Have you seen her?”

“Yes. She joined us not long ago. She’s safe.” As if sensing the tension still in the room, DiMA spoke honestly and did not bring up his and Nick’s apparent history again. “Like many others, she came to us with questions. I need you to understand that before you see her. This is a very delicate time for her.”

Anna didn’t doubt that, but perhaps Kasumi was stronger than DiMA gave her credit for. Instead of saying that, however, she only nodded.

“I’m sure you have only the best intentions,” DiMA continued. “But I want to make sure you aren’t here to try and decide for her. Do you think she’s a synth?”

The question was sudden and Anna gaped at him. “I - “ she said and then halted for a moment. “She could be, sure. It doesn’t matter to me either way.”

“It matters to her. She’s facing the possibility of her entire life being a lie. Her entire history programmed by someone else.” DiMA spread out his hands, indicating the entire observatory. “Here in Acadia, everyone is free to come to their own conclusions. It is their life.”

“I understand,” Anna said. “I’m not here to tell her what to think. I just want to make sure she’s alright.”

DiMA nodded, apparently satisfied with her words. “Thank you. She’s usually downstairs and you are free to see her. However, before you go, I have one more question, if you’ll indulge me. I suspect you may have come here for another reason, as well.”

“I did?” Anna asked in confusion. “What’s your question?”

“Tell me,” he said softly. “Are you a synth?”

Anna could only stare at him. Her breath caught in her throat and when she tried to speak, an undignified squeak came out. The question startled her, more so than the last one. This one was personal, and immediately thoughts, ones she had never wanted to give voice to, trickled into her mind. She dropped her gaze, afraid and ashamed. The mud on her boots gave her a measure of comfort as she studied it.

_ You will hold you tongue, _ the courser had said.  _ Or I will silence you myself. It will take just a few words. _

Heat radiated from her face and her stomach twisted, leaving her feeling sick. She wanted to hide. She didn’t want to face that question. She had tried to forget what the courser had said to her. Like usual. Like she always did when something upset her. Forgetting, or at least shoving the thought into the darkest corner of her mind, gave her momentary relief. It wasn’t healthy. She knew it wasn’t, but sometimes she didn’t care.

Beside her, Nick took an aggressive step forward. “Listen here, pal,” he said coldly. DiMA backed away, hands twisting together again. “Who are you to -”

“Nick.”

Nick stopped and looked back at her. “Anna…”

“No, Nick. Please don’t speak for me.”

The detective lowered his eyes and nodded once.

“Alright,” Anna said to herself. She looked up and faced DiMA again. “I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure I feel comfortable discussing that with you. I would think you’d understand how  _ delicate _ of a question that is to ask. And presumptuous. Besides, how the hell would I know?”

“If you’re looking for some kind of biological test we could do, there isn’t any,” DiMA replied. He cleared his throat with a considerable measure of discomfort. “None that aren’t fatal.”

“Right. Yeah, cutting into my skull would probably kill me.”

Nick shifted his stance but kept his silence.

“Oh.” DiMA appeared to be puzzled by Anna’s sarcasm. “So instead, you have to look for signs. Odd dreams. Feelings of unexplained isolation. Holes in your memory.”

Anna flinched at the word memory. “Uh huh,” she said lamely. Well, that was certainly true. She did have a lot of holes in her memory. Ones that she honestly couldn’t explain. Ones that had always stood out to her, haunted her, made her wonder.

“Ultimately, you must decide for yourself. What do you believe?” DiMA asked, as if musing his thoughts aloud. He leaned forward, hands folded in front of him. “Have you ever questioned your humanity?”

Anna glared at him. Her jaw was clenched. “No,” she said with only a slight tremor in her voice. “I haven’t.”

“Of course. If you don’t mind, what’s the first thing you remember?”

That was going too far. This entire conversation was going too far. Nick was right; who was he to ask this of her? “I  _ do _ mind, thank you. That’s personal territory. I’m not going to share that with a stranger.”

“I see,” DiMA said with a knowing nod. He tipped his head to the side. “Perhaps if I were to share my own first?”

“No. We’re not here to share life stories, and I’m not going to share that kind of information with you.” Anna held her ground, her voice low. “If I get to know you better, maybe we’ll talk. Until then, I would prefer if we keep it professional.”

“Of course,” DiMA said. He backed away and, if he was bothered by her words, he gave no sign. “Feel free to roam the grounds, and introduce yourselves to my co-founders, Faraday and Chase. I will be here, if either of you have questions.”

“Sure thing. Thank you,” Anna said and her and Nick left the main room. They headed downstairs, the stairwell echoing with their footsteps.

At the bottom of the steps, Anna stopped. Her skin felt itchy, like she was covered in ants. She scrubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to banish the feeling. The feeling didn’t go away and she looked back up the stairwell, expression rueful. There was a charisma to DiMA, a kindness that made you feel at ease around him. But it was sweet, sickly sweet. Something about it - something about him - wasn’t right.

“Doll,” Nick said softly.

“I guess I could have been nicer about that.”

Nick shrugged. “We both could’ve been. Though, we have a job to do and it isn’t answering those kinds of questions.”

“What gives him the right to ask them, anyway? I understand him wanting to make sure we’re trustworthy, sure, but still. That’s personal stuff. I don’t - I don’t want to - “

“Doll,” Nick said again.

“Yeah, okay, we have a job to do. Let’s just find Kasumi.”

They found her in the basement, up on a high ladder and with a tool belt around her waist. She eyed them apprehensively before coming down the ladder and dusting her hands on her jeans.

“My parents sent you, didn’t they?” Kasumi looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Well, those people who I lived with.”

“Yeah, they did,” Anna said honestly. “They’re worried and sent us to make sure you’re alright.”

“I am. You found me, so you can go back and tell them that. I’m not going back, though.”

Anna spread out her hands. “Hey, hey, we’re not here to take you back.”

Kasumi was silent for a few moments before she nodded. “Besides, there’s something going on here. There’s something off about this place, but I just haven’t figured it out yet. You’re detectives, right? You could look into it.”

Oh. Well. Anna glanced over at Nick, catching his eye as if to say  _ Who could’ve guessed? _

“I suppose so,” Anna said. “What do you mean?”

“Those terminals upstairs, they hold DiMA’s memories, you know? One day I asked if I could help. I like tinkering with things...oh, well you probably already know that about me. Anyway, Faraday agreed and while I was up there I got kind of curious. I mean, there’s decades of experience in those terminals. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be tempted.”

Tempted, sure, but Anna wasn’t certain she’d poke around in someone’s private memories. “And what did you find?”

“Death,” Kasumi said. “There were data models of death. An explosion of some kind, and estimated levels of radiation. The Fog took over Far Harbor. It was horrible. I...don’t know what it means, but it’s there, in his memories. Someone needs to look into it, just in case.”

That wasn’t quite an accusation, but it came close. “We’ll help if we can,” Anna said quietly. She wanted to say  _ yikes _ . “We need more evidence before we do anything, though.”

Kasumi looked to the side. “Faraday’s terminal is upstairs in his office. Y’know, off to the side of the main room, with the big window? If you could hack it, you’d probably find something, because he and DiMA are really close. And I’ve seen the three of them go into that lab over there” - here she pointed - “and they come out looking like they’ve been arguing. There’s a storage room next to it. You could hide in there and eavesdrop.”

“We could,” Anna said slowly, with little conviction. “But let’s know overstep ourselves until we know more. We’ll look into it, though.”

“Whatever you do, let me know, okay? I won’t stay here if there’s something that...awful going on.”

“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Anna said evenly. Though the memories sounded bad, there might very well be a reason for their existence. And again, private memories. “You hang tight and we’ll take it from here. And we’ll send Kenji and Rei a message, if you want. Just to let them know you’re alright.”

“Well, yeah, that’s probably a good idea. I guess they should know. Yeah, send them something.” Kasumi didn’t seem convinced and she turned back to the ladder, muttering absently, “Some better tools would be nice. How am I supposed to fix this ceiling with these?”

Anna backed away, sparing a thought about the state of the building’s condition. Maybe she could help with that, too.

“I think we need to look around,” she said to Nick when they were back in the stairwell and out of earshot. “Get to know the others who live here. Then we can decide if we need to dig deeper. My detective skills aren’t on par with yours, though. What do you think?”

With a faint smile, Nick said, “No, I think you’re right. No sense making enemies on day one. Let’s sniff around before we doing anything else.”

“Yeah, sniff.” Anna winked. “So far all I got is this wet coat I’m wearing. Not pleasant.”

“Wiseass,” Nick shot back, with humor.

“Yet you still love me.”

He slid an arm around her waist. “Yeah, I do. Even your bad jokes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we meet my favorite old synth on the mountain. Personally, I just want to pack a suitcase and move to Acadia. Peaceful, quiet. Sounds nice.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Don't be afraid to leave a kudos or a comment, I really appreciate them. Have a great day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebecca meets with an old contact of the Railroad's, and then is given a new, horrifying, mission.

There was a note on the floor. It was plain, just a slip of paper, and someone had pushed it under the door for her to find. Question was, who?

Rebecca crouched and picked up the paper. Unfolding it, she read the words written on it:  _ I got your message. Meet me in maintenance room 4, just before the cafeteria _ .

Suddenly mindful of where she was, she stood and backed away from the door. This was Patriot. As long as it could be believed, she had finally made contact with Patriot. Relief mixed with worry in her stomach and she began to pace.

She’d done as Desdemona said. As soon as she’d arrived in the Institute, she had plugged in the Railroad’s communication device and the script had been sent. There had been no response, and she’d wondered if anything would come of it. Or worse, she’d feared being caught. Since nothing had happened in the few days she’d been living in the Institute, she figured she was fine.

And now this.

Patriot wanted to meet with her. They wanted to help. They had risked themselves, and their place inside the Institute, to contact her.

The severity of the situation was not lost on Rebecca. She straightened her spine and tucked the message deep into her pocket, where it wouldn’t be lost. Later, when she found a way to completely destroy it, she would do so.

Shaun wanted to speak with her that afternoon, something about a way she could help the Institute. Until then, she had time to herself. She was supposed to be learning about the Institute, after all. Getting to know the scientists and showing interest in their work - as long as she took care not to look  _ too _ involved - would be good. Getting to know the person the Railroad codenamed Patriot counted, at least in her book.

So she did so, leaving her room and heading for the rendezvous point. The doors opened to her, these ones unlocked and open to everyone. It seemed like most hallways had doors on either end, as if the Institute was prepared to lock down all areas. Considering their work, it was entirely possible.

There were maintenance rooms scattered around the place, each for a different set of tools or a different department. The one she needed was in a back hallway, far from eavesdropping ears. She kept an eye on her surroundings, hoping to attract little attention as she walked. It seemed like most of the residents paid her little mind. The exception was some of the scientists. One or two stopped her, asking if they could ask her some questions or otherwise gather data about the surface world.

She considered agreeing to some of the scientists’ wishes. It couldn’t hurt to let them run their tests or do whatever it was they needed to do. None of that could compromise her mission, and maybe she could help them realize the surface world wasn’t the scary wasteland they seemed to think it was.

That was for another day, however, and so she evaded them and made her way to the maintenance closet. Checking one last time to make sure she wasn’t followed, she opened the door.

Someone was already there. He was seated on one of the crates, hands folded before him. He had short blonde hair and kind eyes, and his handshake was enthusiastic.

“Hello, you must be Patriot,” Rebecca said quietly.

“Yep, I guess so. I’m not sure where you get the name, though. I got your message the other day, but I hesitated to respond right away. Anyway, the name’s Liam Binet. I work with my father in robotics.” Liam nodded towards the door. “You should probably close that. I know, it’s kinda cramped in here, but we won’t be here long.”

Rebecca did as he suggested. “Okay. You help synths get to the surface, right?”

“That’s right. I try to get synths out of here as often as I can without attracting suspicion. It makes it easier that I work in that department. I can’t help them beyond that, but I know that if they can at least make it to the surface, they have a chance.” Liam sat on the crate again and waved for her to sit as well. “I just always hope that someone gives them some help. I mean, I know they’re not helpless in any way. But the surface is dangerous and if someone can help get them started...”

Rebecca slowly sat down. “Well, a lot of the time, someone does.” She hesitated, spinning the wedding band on her finger. “The Railroad picks up a lot of them.”

Liam gaped at her. “The Railroad?” he echoed. “Holy...I never imagined that I would be working with them. I guess I can rest a little bit easier, knowing that the synths do get help when they get up there. Hmmm….well, I can assume you work with them, too.”

He gave a wry chuckle. “Don’t worry, friend, your secret’s safe with me. Considering you know about me and my actions, I think we can strike a compromise. Now, with you being here, we can make bigger plans.”

“What kind of plans?”

“I mean, we can get more synths out, and faster. We’ll still have to be careful, but I know there’s a lot of them ready to go.”

Though Rebecca liked the idea of getting as many synths out of the Institute as possible, she knew that would draw more attention to the issue than she was prepared for. She was in the Institute to do more than free synths, and she feared getting them all in trouble this early.

“Oh,” she said. “Alright. Let’s hear your plans.”

Liam stood up. “I have a friend among the gen 3’s. We’ve been working together on this whole operation for a few years now. Let’s go talk to him, see just how many synths we have to plan for.” He walked to the door and stopped just before it. “We may want to talk about something else on the way. Just in case any of the others are watching.”

They left the maintenance closet, Liam leading the way towards the robotics wing. Along the way, he asked her about the surface and how things worked up there. Once they were in earshot of others, he audibly invited her to see the work he and the other scientists were working on, and she audibly agreed.

Inside he led her over to his workstation, waving towards the screen. “Pretend you’re interested,” he instructed, voice pitched low. He pulled up a diagram on the screen and started pointing out parts to it. After a minute, he stopped and, without looking up, spoke to the synth working near the desk. “Hey, Z1. This is Rebecca. She’s with the Railroad and she’s here to help us.”

Z1 kept his face impassive as he continued his work. “Can we trust her?”

“I think so. How many synths are there waiting to get out?”

“Thirteen.”

“Thirteen, got it. And there will be more, I’m sure.” Liam thought for a moment, still occasionally gesturing to the screen. “We can get them to the relay, but it won’t be easy. The SRB keeps it locked tight and only certain people can get up there. I can’t get up there too often, myself. But with your help, Rebecca, we can just use the code. How do you feel about getting it for us?”

“I could do that,” Rebecca said. “Where would I find it? I’m not good at hacking things.”

“That’s a fair question. Ayo probably doesn’t keep it written down anywhere. That’d be too risky.” Liam switched to another screen before sitting down and pulling out some kind of prototype from his desk to show her. In between his casual narration, he continued, “See, I’ve tried to hack my way past it, but I need an old-fashioned username and password. If I were you, I’d ask your friends for help. There might be something left behind when the Institute went underground all those years ago. Check the old offices, or even the homes.”

Rebecca wasn’t sure how she was getting to the surface, but she didn’t mention that. “Got it. In the meantime, what will you two do?”

“We have to get the others ready to leave. It’ll take time to do this right, but everyone knows that. The synths have been waiting a long time for a chance to get out of here, and they won’t want to rush things and ruin it.” Liam finally stood upright and turned to Rebecca. “You get that, and we’ll be in business.” Louder, he said, “See? I told you robotics was pretty cool. You should talk to Doctor Navarette. She’s a wizard when it comes to programming stuff.”

“I see. Yes, I’d love to speak with her someday. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this stuff.” Rebecca caught Z1’s eye and gave a slight nod. As Liam walked with her to the door, she said, “Thanks for taking the time to show me. I’ll have to see if the other departments will consider doing the same.”

“Oh, I’m sure. Around here, a lot of us really like talking about our current projects. Give us the chance to go on and on about it, and well, there you go.” With a genuine laugh, Liam turned back towards the lab. “I’ll see you around.”

Back in the main area, Rebecca considered her options. She had to find a way to get to the surface. She couldn’t use the relay without the same password, or attracting attention. She wished she could leave of her own volition, but it seemed Shaun was hesitant to give her the ability to teleport. Of course, that was understandable, but it still grated on her nerves. She had chosen to come here. She was not dragged or fooled.

Well, perhaps fooled. She sometimes felt like she was a fool for even wasting her time trying to get inside the Institute. Though she knew her older self - the one that wanted to find her son and bring him home - didn’t know better, she still wished she had done something else with her time. Sure, making the friends she did was something she’d never trade, but she could have focused on other things.

There was no sense dwelling on it, and again, how could she have known? How could she have known her son was actually the leader of the Institute? A sixty year old man, raised and taught by the same faction that she and her friends sought to fight? It was something that she still hadn’t quite processed, and she knew it would haunt her for a while.

Perhaps if she got on Shaun and the directorate’s side, she’d be given more freedom. Maybe she could request the ability to return to the surface. She knew they’d argue.  _ Why go up there? It’s too dangerous. What do you mean, go home? Your home is here.  _ Lasty, she could hear Shaun’s patronizing tone:  _ You could do so much here, in the Institute _ .

The words made her skin crawl and she scrubbed her hands up and down her arms. Checking her Pip-Boy, she realized it was time to meet with Shaun. Swallowing back her misgivings, she walked up to his office.

There was another person there, a woman with silvery blonde hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. She seemed to be checking Shaun’s vitals.

“Heartrate’s fine. Blood pressure isn’t too bad.” The woman turned to her bag and put away some of her tools. “Are you taking your medicine?”

“Yes, doctor,” Shaun said tiredly. “I’m taking all my little pills.”

“Great. That will keep your symptoms down and help you feel better.” There was no trace of irritation in the doctor’s tone, but perhaps there was the faintest tightening of her jaw. She looked up and saw Rebecca. “Oh, hello. You must be Rebecca. I’m sorry, I know you two are family, but I do ask that you respect patient privacy.”

Rebecca blinked. “Sure, of course. I’ll come back in a few minutes.”

She went to leave but Shaun spoke up. “No, no. It’s fine, doctor. I’m just an old man getting his check up, it’s nothing to hide.” He offered Rebbeca a smile, one that almost reached his eyes. “Good to see you, Mother.”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” Rebecca said. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Right, I did. Doctor?”

“Yes, I’ve done what I need to do. I will be back in a few weeks.”

When the doctor left, Rebecca turned back to Shaun. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes. Like I said, I’m just an old man. Running the Institute will do a number on you, I’m afraid.” He laughed and the sound was strained. “Now, onto what I have to tell you,” he continued, standing up. “You know we have a problem with escaped synths. Without our influence to guide them, rogue synths are a danger to those around them. They must be stopped. We do our best to do so, but we don’t get all of them.”

Rebecca bit her tongue instead of saying what she really wanted to say. Which was:  _ If you’d leave them alone, you’d realize most of them aren’t threats. And they’re escaping the Institute to get away from you and have their own lives. _

Shaun seemed to accept her silence. “So, these rogue synths need to be dealt with in some way.”

Rebecca’s stomach twisted and she fought to keep a straight face.

“There is one that has taken over a group of what the Commonwealth calls “raiders” and has been terrorizing the area. I’m assigning a courser to you, and I want you to bring this synth back.” Shaun kept eyeing her and when he detected no reaction, he continued speaking. “I will give you the coordinates and then you should head up to the relay. I will have the doors unlocked for you, like I did when you first arrived. Gather your supplies and if you need anything else, I’ve told the Synth Retention Bureau to lend you a weapon. Do you have any questions?”

“No,” Rebecca said, her voice coming out evenly. Somehow. “Get my supplies, go to the relay, bring back the synth. Well, I do have one question. Why me?”

With a sigh, Shaun straightened his jacket. “The directorate doesn’t quite think you’re ready for what we have planned for you. I am speaking for you, Mother, and they trust my judgment, but I cannot change their minds completely. This is a way for you to prove yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine. You braved the surface world, remember?”

“Yes, I’ll manage.” She cleared her throat. “Will I meet the courser there, or will they be here?”

“It will be waiting for you. Here are your coordinates.”

There was nothing else to say. She nodded and took the dismissal, leaving the room before she lost her composure.

_ Bring back an escaped synth. _

The horror of that sank in and Rebecca buried her face into her hands. That went against everything she and the Railroad stood for. It made her angry and sick, and yet she knew she had little choice. She had to stay on the Institute's good graces, at least long enough to get information for the Railroad and to free the thirteen synths Liam told her about. One synth, one who had apparently turned into a raider and was hurting other people, was not worth the lives of all of the rest.

The thought brought her little comfort. Squaring her shoulders, she went to her room to prepare.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna found herself unable to sleep. It wasn’t the unfamiliar location, or the cold. No, she had slept in worse conditions before. And, for once, it wasn't nightmares. They had disappeared, and while that was a relief, they had been replaced with something else. A new, disconcerting and wholly unwelcome dread had settled in her stomach. It kept her awake, staring into the shadows and unable to relax.

She rolled over and stretched one arm out, letting it drape off the side of the sofa. In doing so, she lost the pocket of heat she had made for herself and started to shiver again. Grumbling irritably, she pulled her arm back up and tucked her hand beneath her chin.

The sofa was a worn thing, soft but a bit broken in the middle. It was difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in, but at least it was better than the floor. She closed her eyes again and took a few deep, even breaths in an effort to fall asleep. Sometimes that worked for her, but it was not to be. Her thoughts kept going back to the last few days and, as always, her mind wanted to overthink every stupid detail.

It was all so confusing, this new information. Her head hurt to think of it. Whether any of what DiMA had said was true she wasn’t sure, but it had left her and Nick feeling lost. Maybe it was true, and Nick had this past he remembered nothing about. Maybe it wasn’t, and DiMA was a fraud.

And that wasn’t counting what he’d said about her. Her. A synth. She supposed it was possible; after all, a lot of people were replaced with synths, with or without their knowledge. It was a horrifying thought and one that led to other, darker thoughts. Her memory loss and fragmented past had always haunted her, and now she had another possible explanation. And, if she was a synth, was the Institute using her to spy on the Commonwealth, or had she escaped? Had she had a mind-wipe? It was just too painful to think about.

Part of her was angry. Angry at DiMA for the suggestion and his sickly-sweet concern. Angry at herself for not knowing, and then just  _ believing _ his words. Angry at the Institute. 

The rest of her was just sad.

Anna sat up and rubbed her eyes. She pulled on her coat again, numb fingers struggling to find each button. It would be colder outside, but maybe the fresh air would clear her head. Shoving her feet into her boots (and ignoring the mud), she tied them and made her way outside.

The door screeched loudly and she winced, hoping that it hadn’t disturbed anyone. She eased it closed before turning around and looking out over the observatory’s grounds. Snow was falling in big, fluffy flakes. They were turned into a kaleidoscope of colors by the rising sun: maroon, golden orange, a gorgeous shade of red. She climbed the staircase to her left, careful of the patches of ice, and stared out in awe. It was incredible. The sun shone right through the trees and burned away the mournful color in the sky. The light shimmered, as if dappled over a streambed. She watched it for a long while and found that, despite the cold, she was captivated.

She felt like she was in a painting.

Maybe this island wasn’t so bad after all, she thought. There was a haunted beauty in its misty slopes and muddy shores. And she had to admit that Acadia was peaceful. It was quiet, and relatively safe from the island’s dangers. The air smelled so clear; there was no decay or metal on the wind. The residents seemed content in their home, even if they complained of boredom or the building’s rundown appearance. Anna could clearly see why.

She held out her hands and watched the snowflakes melt on her palms. Her lungs burned as she took a deep breath, breathing the fresh air in deep. All she could hear was the soft, nearly imperceptible sound of falling snow. Closing her eyes for a moment, she sought a measure of peace.

There was just so much going on. They had arrived when it seemed that everyone was at each other’s throats. Perfect timing, of course, she thought grimly, but there was little they could do about it. What they could do was help find a way to bring peace. That meant solving the mystery underlying the whole conflict, and solving it before someone declared all-out war. 

And, if they were lucky, they could find some evidence to prove, or disprove, DiMA’s claims.

A headache brought her out of her thoughts and she berated herself. Honestly, was blathering on and on really going to help? Of course not. Rest was what she needed, but she had lost her chance to get any sleep. With a curse, she turned and went back inside. 

The observatory was dark and she paused, letting her eyes adjust. She shook out her coat and stamped her feet. A hot meal and a cup of coffee would be nice, but she’d settle just for the coffee.

Hearing voices downstairs, Anna followed them to the bottom floor. Several of the residents were awake and a few had food. Her inquiries led her to a makeshift kitchen of some kind. There wasn’t much to eat, but there was a steaming pot of coffee. Anna approached the person tidying the area and asked if there was enough for one more.

“Sure,” the woman said and gestured. She eyed the coat Anna still wore with a wry grin. “How long were you outside?”

“Well, a while a guess. I dunno. It’s not that bad, is it?”

“Drink this. This time of year, I get enough cases of hypothermia. I don’t need another one.” 

With a sheepish shrug, Anna did as she said. The drink was strong and she cradled the mug in her hands. “I’m Anna, by the way. Came in yesterday. I’m sure you’ve heard already.”

“Aster. It’s nice to meet you.” The woman nodded and leaned against the counter. “I’m the doctor here. Closest thing anyway, so I’m your best bet if you get hurt. I have a lot of experience treating cuts and broken bones. Lots of work around here, and a lot of stubborn people.”

“I won’t lie, I may need the help at some point. Thanks,” Anna added, tapping a fingernail against the mug. “Speaking of work, is there anything I can do to help out? I can fix things, or carry something.”

Aster tipped her head to one side. “Hmm, the people here are stubborn, like I said. And even those that aren’t are still proud of the work they do. Everyone is free to make themselves comfortable, as long as they don't bother anyone else. That means that everyone likes to take care of their own area.”

“I get that. I know, it’s a hell of a feeling. Making someplace your home.”

“It is. Though a lot of people complain about the lack of...options up here, they seem to appreciate the chance to be themselves and have a place where they can be safe. Maybe someday some of us will find other places that will accept us, or a place completely of our own.” 

“That’ll be the day,” Anna said genuinely. “I know I’m a stranger, and you certainly don’t need my approval, but I think this is a really great thing you guys got going.”

Aster smiled and they fell into a silence. Several others came up to grab seconds, or to clean and put away their dishes. A group in the corner settled at a table with a chessboard, while others pulled on their coats and headed up the stairs. When everyone was done, Anna helped Aster put it all away for the next meal.

“I do have something you can help with,” Aster said, straightening. She dried her hands on an old towel. “I’m studying plants. Asters, to be specific. As you can probably tell, they’re my favorite flower, but now I’m looking at the medicinal properties they have. If you do find any in your travels, please bring them here to me. I’ll pay caps for each one.”

“Sure,” Anna said. “What do they look like?”

Aster led her upstairs to where she worked. It was a laboratory, neatly stacked with samples and tools. There was a woodsy smell in the air and a faint hint of antiseptic. Shelves lined the walls and tables dominated the space, each covered in a different project. 

Walking over to one of the tables, Aster returned with a dried flower. “This is one.” She held it out. It was a dark flower with a crown of violet petals. “A few grow around here, but I don’t want to pull too much from them. Also, it would be beneficial to study how they fare in other areas. Different soil types and levels of radiation.”

“Right. If I find any, I’ll make sure I bring them to you.”

“Thanks,” Aster said. “You know, you might check upstairs. I know Faraday and DiMA are always looking for help. Moving things, lifting other things. Fetching stuff from elsewhere on the island. I’m sure they could use your help.”

“Oh,” Anna said. “Of course. I’ll ask them, too. Thanks, Aster.”

Aster waved a hand. “Take care of yourself out there. I can probably patch up most injuries, but I still don’t want you hurt. Got it?”

“Got it.” Anna left the laboratory, leaving Acadia’s medic humming idly as she began to sort samples. She headed up the stairs, wondering where Nick had wandered off to. Knowing him as well as she did, he was probably still trying to make sense of what they learned yesterday - both about the island, and about him and DiMA’s supposed relationship. That could take time, and so she left him to it.

Anna found Faraday and DiMA in the main room still, both working on some kind of large terminal. Faraday had a clipboard in his hands that he kept referring too, the pen in his hands switching from finger to finger. DiMA was crouched a few feet over, looking like he was about ready to crawl inside the terminal itself.

“Good morning,” Anna said and waved a hand.

Faraday looked up with a polite smile. “Hello,” he said. “I don’t think we got formally introduced yesterday. As you’ve probably heard, I’m Faraday and I’m the one who keeps all this tech working. Or, at least I try to. It’s so much work…”

“You do a wonderful job,” DiMA said, looking up from his position near the floor. Standing, he walked over to them, brushing his hands across his knees as if trying to remove dirt. “Good morning, Anna. I trust you slept well?”

“Uh,” Anna said with a shrug. “Yeah, well enough, thank you. Look,” she added, glancing down to her feet. Her scathing words from the day before came back to her and she felt shame in the pit of her stomach. “I’m sorry I was so rude yesterday. I stand by my choice not to share those things yet, but I shouldn’t have been so...mean about it.”

DiMA regarded her silently for a few moments before speaking. “You are forgiven. To be honest, I should not have been so forceful about it. I, too, apologize.”

With a wry chuckle, Anna looked up at him. “Eh, it’s alright. So, starting over from that,” she said. She wasn’t sure she was truly  _ alright _ but there was no point in continuing to drag it out in front of them. “I was told you two might need some help? I figure, while I’m here, I might as well lend a hand anywhere I’m welcome.”

“Oh, well that’s very kind of you,” Faraday said. One hand fidgeting with the notes he carried, he asked DiMA a quiet question - one that Anna could not hear, and had no intention of trying to - before DiMA nodded and walked away. “As a matter of fact, there is something I could use help with. We need drives for data storage. Or parts, if nothing else. If you would be interested in retrieving them for me, I would appreciate it. I will pay you, if that helps.”

Anna looked over at the massive computer banks. “Storage drives, got it.”

“Yes, please. I…” Faraday sighed. “I truly do need the parts.  _ We _ need them. I’ve spent years helping him put all these terminals together, and they’re getting run down. The new parts will help, and the more room for data he has, the better.”

“So you’ve been with him all this time?” Anna asked.

“For quite a few years, yes. He helped me adjust after I escaped the Institute, and then I helped him get this place in shape.” Faraday looked over to where DiMA had walked a respectful distance away, an affectionate look in his eyes. “He’s been through so much in the last few years. All these changes and upgrades we’ve done. It’s a lot for one person to go through, but he never complains. All he thinks of is others.”

Anna smiled. “Well, it sounds like he has you to help him out.” She noticed how Faraday’s face turned a shade of pink and chose not to comment on it. Instead, she deftly changed the subject. “Alright. Storage drives. Where am I going to find them?”

Clearing his throat, Faraday glanced down at the clipboard in his hands. “They should be on a boat south of here. It wrecked near an old harbor. If you can find the ship, the drives will be in a sealed crate. Hopefully it remains intact.”

Anna doubted how easy it would be to find the ship in question, let alone get to it and bring an entire shipping container safely back to the surface. She said none of this. “We’ll take a look. Where would I find this harbor?”

“Your best bet would be to travel along the coast. Follow the road southwest out of Far Harbor.” Faraday flipped a few pages in his notes. When he found what it was looking for pulled it free and handed it over. “Here. Go ahead and take this map. I’m sure it’ll be dangerous, as trappers like to live in areas like that. Good luck to you.”

“He wasn’t kidding. This entire block is run by those thugs. Looks like someone’s got a bonfire going, too.” Anna reshouldered her rifle and turned to Nick. They were standing at the edge of what appeared to be a barricaded settlement. Through her scope she had spotted several trappers patrolling the area and she knew that there would be more inside. The orange color in the sky, paired with the clouds of noxious smoke, meant that there was a fire nearby - a big one. “Or some idiot set something on fire he wasn’t supposed to.”

She hated fire. The incredible heat, the unbreathable smoke. Not to mention that all she could picture, if she closed her eyes, was super mutants gunning down innocent settlers.

“How the hell are we supposed to know which boat it is, anyway?” she continued. “For all we know, it could be any one of those” - she gestured to the many boats half-sunken in the distance - “or this one here.”

An old fishing trawler floated to their left. Glancing at it, Nick shook his head. “No, it’ll be a different one. This one’s not meant for cargo. How about we press ahead and see what we can find around the bend up there?”

With a shrug, Anna moved closer. The trappers had built their nest out of the existing harbor, extending it high and with a clear view of the water. The orange glow of lanterns beckoned, but their warm welcome was soon lost. Like raiders, trappers had gruesome decor. Dead bodies - human and otherwise - were strewn along the walls. Blood had dripped from these bodies and stained the wood like ink. A cloying smell hung in the air, sickly sweet and nauseating.

Anna wrinkled her nose. “Homey, isn’t it?” She covered her mouth with her sleeve, quirking a brow as she looked over her shoulder at Nick. 

He rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting in an amused smile.

Ahead was a short stretch of water, full of trash and the rotten remains of piers and wooden rowboats. They crossed it as quickly as they could. It was knee-deep and the cold shock of it took Anna’s breath away. She irritably shook herself when they reached the opposite bank. This earned her a muffled grunt and a few rapid footsteps as one of the trappers came to investigate. She snagged Nick’s hand and pulled him down with her as she crouched in the shadows.

Above, the trapper loaded his shotgun and mumbled a curse. Something about setting fires and the Fog, and how he could taste them, whoever they were. Anna shared a look of disgust with Nick, muttering the eloquent words “what the fuck”. Moments passed until the footsteps receded as the man lost interest. 

“Well, it seems that they have more pressing matters to attend to,” Anna whispered. “How about we make this quick and sneaky? I don’t fancy us getting into a fight.”

With a grimace, Nick agreed. Trappers were no better than the raiders back in the Commonwealth. In fact, these people were more dangerous. They were half-starved and driven to insanity by the near-constant radiation. Anna could still remember her first interaction with a group of them. Their sick, angry cries and almost reverent fear of the Fog had greatly disturbed her.

They worked their way around the shore. Water, dark and cold, sloshed near their feet as they approached the open water. Each step was a dangerous one as the stones were slippery and encrusted with ice. Their steps caused the ice to crack, shards shoving this way and that and making for very slow progress. 

Anna kept on hand on the cliff to her right and tried not to imagine ending up in the water. 

A boat was aground to their left, the thing wrecked on its side and forgotten. Anna peered into the cabin but found nothing. They kept moving. The flickering orange light grew brighter as they rounded the bend.

Soon they were close enough to see the harbor clearly. There were several boats floating in the water, each barely visible except for their ghostly silhouettes. Directly in front of them was another aground, this one upright and lodged deep into the rocky shore. Water sloshed against it as if threatening to drag it down into the inky depths like so many before it. 

A thick substance leaked out from the ship’s damaged hull. It shimmered with color, the distant firelight flickering across its surface.

Anna winced. It was fuel. “Oh, well that’s no good,” she said, though it was unnecessary. She took a step back and bumped into Nick, who reached out to steady her. “And look. That’s where the fire is coming from.”

It was no bonfire. Flames engulfed a building on this side of the harbor, snapping and popping in the night. Anna stared at it with dread, arms wrapped around her chest. “Well,” she said hollowly. “It’s going to catch on to that fuel any minute. We better find the drives before that happens.”

They hurried over to the ship, avoiding the pools of fuel gathered on the shore. It was a vengeful wraith, cracked windows watching the burning night like eyes. Smoke wreathed around it and shrouded it from clear view. These oily tendrils billowed skyward and Anna could see cinders bright in the sky.

She vaulted over the side, feet skittering for a second on the wet floor. Panic clutched her chest and she gritted her teeth, trying to push it away. Scanning the deck she spotted several shipping containers and a steamer trunk. Then, on the floor, she saw two gleaming metal discs.

“I found them!” she shouted above the din. At least they weren’t locked in one of the containers. She bent and hefted one into her arms before meeting Nick at the side and passing it over. “There’s another one, too, and some kind of trunk. Think we should get it?”

“There’s no time,” Nick replied. “Grab the other one and let’s go.” He took the drive and disappeared into the smoke. By the time he returned, Anna had the second ready. Eyeing the approaching flames, he gestured for her to hurry up. “Let’s get out of here!”

The woman risked a last look at the deck. To her dismay, she saw one last drive tucked away in an open container. “For fuck’s sake,” she said and, cursing herself, darted over to pry it out. 

“Anna, forget it! We have to go!”

The mechanism holding the drive was tightly secured. Her fingers slipped several times, whether from the wet metal or her panic, she didn’t know. Her chest ached in tune with the rapid pounding of her heart. A minute. Less than, maybe. The crackling was louder now and she flinched as something came crashing down in the distance.

The intense heat was unbearable. It flashed hot between gusts of winter air. Anna felt it on her face, tightening her skin like she was being cooked alive. She was just about to give up when the drive snapped free. Cradling it close to her chest, she turned around and was horrified to note how close the fire had gotten. With a bright flash, an ember ignited the fuel and flames shot right for the ship. 

No. Seconds, that was what she had. Seconds until the entire spill was ablaze.

Anna scrambled off the ship and fell to her knees. The smoke overwhelmed her. It burned in her throat and eyes, blinding her and leaving her panicked. She curled her fingers, feeling the stones beneath her and then a shock of incredible heat.

Orange and yellow swarmed before her eyes and she reared back, a soundless scream coming from her throat. Pain, hot and angry, seared her arms and face.

Then she felt hands on her back and then under her arms. She was pulled to her feet and she instinctively started to kick and run. 

She heard Nick’s voice, but it was muffled, as if far away. His hand grabbed hers and she followed him as he ran, trusting him to get them both out of danger.

Seconds later, the smoke cleared. They had rounded the bend once more, fording the water without hesitation. Anna opened her eyes only when she felt the cold air again. It was a soothing balm on her face, like - perhaps literally - ice on a burn.

Anna sank down onto a nearby boulder. A cough racked her body and she hunched over, feeling the awful scratch in her throat. Looking down, she could see the red marks on her hands.

“Let me see,” Nick said quietly.

Hands shaking, she held them out. Nick made a soft whistling sound before digging into their supplies and pulling out the medkit.

“This’ll sting,” he continued. “Just hold still, doll. It’ll be over in a sec.”

He spread a cooling salve on her burns, both on her hands and on her face. When she jerked away, hissing in pain, he waited patiently until he could take her hands again and continue.

“I’m sorry,” Anna said when he finished bandaging her burns. “That was really stupid of me.”

“It damn well wasn’t your best idea,” Nick said. He sighed, as if considering his next words. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Anna nodded, feeling numb. She shuddered, thinking of the fire and realizing just how close she’d been.

Nick sat next to her and rested a hand on her back. With his other hand, he dug into her pack and handed her some water. While she drank, he looked back towards the fire. It had completely enveloped the ship, orange and red flickering against the navy blue sky.

He curled an arm around her shoulders and they watched the fire devour the buildings of the harbor. It burned rapidly, oil and wood excellent fuel. Anna closed her eyes at the horrific sight, turning in towards his chest. He smoothed his hand over her hair, fingers gentle and sure.

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, Nick suggested they move. “Looks like more snow’s coming. We might want to find a place to sleep for the night. Any one of these houses might do the trick.”

Anna stood and hooked her arm carefully through his. “I’ll settle for anything, at this point,” she said. “As long as it has a roof and a wall or two.”

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm back with part two! Thank for stopping by and don't hesitate to leave a kudos or a comment. I really appreciate it.
> 
> I'm still working on the outline but I plan to have this updated on a relatively regular basis. That's the plan, anyway. Yes, if I say it enough, it will happen.
> 
> Have a great day!


End file.
